Research
PhD Research
My PhD project is focused on making new detections of the Yarkovsky–O’Keefe–Radzievskii–Paddack (YORP) effect. The YORP effect is a small torque experienced by small bodies in the Solar System, caused by the absorption and anisotropic re-emission of thermal radiation from the Sun.
YORP can have a profound influence on the evolution of asteroids, through modification of their rotation rates and spin axis orientations. It contributes to the replenishment of the near-Earth asteroid population, forms binary systems, aligns the spin-axis orientation of asteroid families and can trigger rotational fission or tumbling.
There are relatively few published detections of the YORP effect. My research is focused on making new detections with a long-term optical observing campaign, which focuses on a small sample of near-Earth asteroids.
In order to detect the YORP effect, a physical model of the asteroid must be developed to describe its shape and spin-state. This model is used to generate synthetic lightcurves, against which observations can be compared. YORP can then be detected through any rotational phase offset between observations and a constant-period model.
I develop asteroid models using a combination of optical and radar data. As such, my research interests are more broadly focused on the observation and characterisation of small bodies in the Solar System.
Selected Publications
L. Dover, S. C. Lowry, A. Rożek et al., "Physical modelling of near-Earth asteroid (23187) 2000 PN9 with ground-based optical and radar observations", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2023 -- Open Access
M. Brozović et al. including L. Dover, "Radar and optical observations and physical modelling of binary near-Earth Asteroid 2018 EB", Planetary Science Journal, 2024 (accepted)
A. Rożek, S. C. Lowry, B. Rozitis, L. R. Dover et al., “Physical properties of near-Earth asteroid (2102) Tantalus from multi-wavelength observations”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2022 -- Open Access
S. L. Jackson, B. Rozitis, L. R. Dover et al., “The effect of aspect changes on Near-Earth Asteroid phase curves”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2022 -- Open Access
C. Herbert et al. including L. Dover, “A survey for variable young stars with small telescopes: IX - Evolution of Spot Properties on YSOs in IC 5070”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2024 (accepted)
D. Froebrich et al. including L. Dover, “A survey for variable young stars with small telescopes: VIII -- Properties of 1687 Gaia selected members in 21 nearby clusters”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2024 -- Open Access
D. Froebrich et al. including L. Dover, “A survey for variable young stars with small telescopes - VI. Analysis of the outbursting Be stars NSW284, Gaia19eyy, and VES263”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2023 -- Open Access
D. Froebrich et al. including L. R. Dover, “A survey for variable young stars with small telescopes - IV. Rotation periods of YSOs in IC 5050”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2021 -- Open Access
J. J. Evitts et al. including L. Dover, “A survey for variable young stars with small telescopes: II - mapping a protoplanetary disc with stable structures at 0.15 au”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2020 -- Open Access
F. Marocco et al. including L. Dover, "Ultracool dwarf benchmarks with Gaia primaries", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2020 -- Open Access
Conferences
S .L. Jackson, B. Rozitis, L. Dover et al., "Using Hapke Modelling to Probe Near-Earth Asteroid Phase Curves". 54th Annual DPS Meeting -- Abstract available online.
A. McGilvray et al. including L. Dover, "Shape Model of 2015 DP155 Using Radar and Lightcurve Observations". 54th Annual DPS Meeting -- Abstract available online.
S. L. Jackson et al. including L. R. Dover, “Phase Curve Variability of near-Earth Asteroids”. European Planetary Science Congress 2021 -- Abstract available online.
L. Dover, S. C. Lowry, A. Rożek, T. Zegmott et al., “Physical modelling of YORP-evolved NEA (23187) 2000 PN9 from optical and radar observations”. Royal Astronomical Society Early Career Poster Exhibition 2020 -- Poster available online.
L. Dover, S. C. Lowry, A. Rożek, T. Zegmott et al., “Physical modelling of YORP-evolved NEA (23187) 2000 PN9 from optical and radar observations”. European Planetary Science Congress 2020 -- Abstract available online.
D. W. Repp et al. including L. R. Dover, “Shape Modeling of Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 2015 DP155 from Radar and Lightcurve Observations”. 51st Annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference -- Abstract available online.
R. Kokotanekova et al. including L. Dover, "Testing the surface evolution hypothesis of JFCs with ground photometric observations". EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2019 -- Abstract available online.
S. C. Lowry et al. including L. Dover, "Physical Model of Near-Earth Asteroid (1917) Cuyo and Detection of a Mass-Lofting Event". EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2019 -- Abstract available online.
A. Rożek et al. including L. Dover, "Physical characterisation of near-Earth asteroid (2102) Tantalus from optical and radar observations". EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2019 -- Abstract available online.